Train Smart, Compete Hard, Live Healthy, Have Funhttps://aldentris.com
Thu, 07 Dec 2017 04:39:06 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/0bbbc120c4c1212cfa435848f111fa09?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngTrain Smart, Compete Hard, Live Healthy, Have Funhttps://aldentris.com
IM AZ 2017 – Recaphttps://aldentris.com/2017/12/06/im-az-2017-recap/
https://aldentris.com/2017/12/06/im-az-2017-recap/#respondThu, 07 Dec 2017 03:02:40 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=431]]>Usually I’m not this far behind, but I finally have a chance to sit down, think for a few minutes, and put together a race write up on Ironman Arizona. Since I know this will be quite the page turner, I’ll give a brief summary, some lessons learned, and then move on to the full race report.

Quick Recap

This year’s race set up much like last year’s race – solo trip to Tempe, quite time to focus and prepare, and then hanging out and getting ready for race day. That’s about where the similarities ended. In 2016, I pulled together a 95% complete race and finished in 9:08, podium spot, and just off a coveted Kona qualifier spot. I went into this year’s race with an expectation to turn out a slightly better performance and see where that put me in the age group.

Swim: I’ve been focusing on the swim a lot and trying to make sure that I can settle into things without having any breathing difficulties. A few trips to a local lake in Richmond, some quality pool swims, and a more relaxed but thorough warmup were tweaks to help the swim improve. Well, all of these worked out well, I swam the whole time without any breathing issues, but the wind kicked up during the swim, waves started to come, and I was swimming up and down waves for the last 1500 yds. What felt like a good swim, quickly slowed down and I exited the water in 67+min, well off my goal time of 63min.

Bike: That wind that kicked up during the late stages of the swim just kept coming on the bike. I stuck to the power numbers but the difference was amazing. The same power on the way out and into the wind put me at an average of 18mph while the return trip was roughly 30mph. At one point, I finished 10mi in just under 20min! Unfortunately, for me, as fun as that part was, the headwind was just brutal and the pounding took a toll on my back. I was simply tired, core was shot from trying to hold things together, and I started using my legs more rather than having a fluid pedal stroke coming from the core down through the legs.

Run: My legs were whooped. My back didn’t have any sharp pains so I knew I could get out on the course but I just didn’t have any energy. I slept through T2 but remember looking at a guy in the tent across from me that looked so spent someone would have thought he already finished the race. After taking a long time to find a rhythm, I finally settled into a steady approach and started ticking the miles away. For a while, as bad as things were, I still had a shot at a sub-10hr race on a day that was clearly not mine.

Overall: 10:05+ for 14AG and 81 OA

Full Version

I guess this really starts back in July when I herniated a disk in my back. That was definitely NOT fun. I was able to compete in two races, one I won in a big personal best, the other was ok but not really what I could bring to a race. I skipped a previously scheduled race and started to rest up. That put me roughly in the 3rd week of July, unable to pick things up, bend forward, or tilt backwards. I could ride my bike and that felt good, but swimming was excruciating while running was manageable. Oh, and we were moving from NJ to VA but not into a house just yet. To say things were a little stressful would be an understatement.

I was a grouch. I couldn’t hit my workouts, I had no power in my legs, and I was just trying to find ways to move around. Little by little, I could do a bridge again and pick my butt up off the floor. I could raise my left leg more than two feet off the ground without sending sharp pains up my leg and back. And I could begin to float in the water without pain. Of course, during this time, I also got sick, had a bug bite on my eye that swelled up for 3 days so I couldn’t see, and tried to still be a dad and husband. Needless to say, it was not going smoothly.

IM 70.3 Worlds in Chattanooga was supposed to be my goal race for 2017 but, as you can see, the goals had to be adjusted. I was just going to be happy getting to the start line. About a month later, so mid-August, I was able to get out of bed in one smooth motion, could push-off the wall with some force, and actually started to show some ability to pick up the tempo on the bike. Little by little, things turned around and I made it to the start line in the best shape I could hope for considering the way things had gone in the prior 6 weeks. I still feel that if I had 2 more weeks before race day, there would have been a vastly different result and I probably wouldn’t have made the late season addition to the schedule.

But, I can’t control time so the race happened, it went smoothly, but I still wanted more. I wanted to compete to what my training really was. After talking with Kim, who did just an amazing job during my grumpiness, we decided IMAZ was worth a shot. For the second year running, I was able to join SmileTrain and enjoy racing while supporting them.

Training was great but there were still some off days due to the back. Tweaks here and there or tiredness were some symptoms that I just had to deal with throughout the training. Strength work was key but man, my hamstring got so tight. It is crazy how much one thing can affect so many parts of the body.

Race – On a good day, with everything going right, I thought I could go 8:57. On a day that would reasonably represent my training, I figured 9:00 – 9:05. Hopefully that would put me in the mix for the podium and a Kona spot. Well, you’ve read how the race went. Nutrition seemed to be on pretty well but the weather definitely played a factor. It was hotter and I could feel my lips burn up early in the ride. I drank my Precision Hydration mix and used all the backup salt tabs during the ride. Looking back, I probably could have used more.

The swim was solid, I didn’t have any issues, and had a really solid start before fading with the change in conditions. The bike was good but I lacked the late strength and endurance. I could have finished after 90-95 miles and my back still would have been ok but that last little bit was the end of it for me. What’s crazy is that I backed off over the last few miles, dropped my normalized power by 5w and still finished 3w higher than last year. But, and this is a big BUT, I was 13 minutes slower than 2016. Just goes to show the change in conditions from one year to the next.

When the run came along, I mindlessly moved through transition while trying to figure out what I was going to do with the race. I crossed the start line for the run and all I could think of was “Well now I have to finish.” This might be the sign that things are slightly off in my head. I only had to take one step off to the side to stop but I’d have to take 40,000 steps finish the marathon. That didn’t matter. The one step was and always will be the toughest step and so I set out to cover the 26.2. About a mile into the race, I saw a friend and had no idea he was going to be there. We said hey and then went about our work. There was a lot of walking at first and a lot of deep soul-searching and pushing. I found another athlete struggling in the same way and we kept each other company. Little by little, things got easier and we passed some people. Finally, I had a nice rhythm and just kept plodding through the course until crossing that glorious finish line.

Lessons learned

Last year, a bathroom break kept me from finishing 4th and heading to Kona. This year, I paid more attention to nutrition leading up to the race, night before and day off, and my stomach felt fine. I didn’t have any stomach / GI distress last year; I just had to go to the bathroom. This year, with that extra attention, no bathroom breaks. BIG PLUS!!

Changed up the kit for the long course race this year and wore a two piece from Kiwami. This was crazy comfortable but I didn’t even end up needing it for the reason of wearing it. I’ll keep the one piece for short course and the two piece for long course for mental ease.

Strength work, strength, and more core strength development. One injury set me back so far almost instantaneously even though I still was working on core strength. I’ll continue to be susceptible to this injury moving forward to it is vital for me to stay on top of strength and make sure that I’m fit for training to be fit for racing.

The mind is a wonderful thing and can get you past many hurdles. Believe in yourself and you will see that anything is possible.

The craziest part about the race is that even if I finished in my best expected time of 8:57 that would have been 3rd AG and NOT GOING TO KONA!!! There were only two spots. Either way, 10:05 or 8:57, I would be doing another race.

Wrap-up

This season had some great ups and equally extreme downs. Through all of this, Kim was there to support me, try to keep my spirits up, pack and unpack boxes, and shuttle kids around. I did what I could but sitting in cars hurt, lifting boxes hurt, squatting down hurt, even laying down in bed hurt. And yet, she just kept going. You’re a rock. Thank you so much. The kids were equally important to the season. I had a chance to break the tape with them at Williamsburg, and talk to them during the morning walk and prep for IMAZ. Their excitement is infectious and can’t help but lift me up and carry me through those dark moments of a race.

Earl, thanks for knowing me better than I know myself. Looking forward to another round in 2018.

And my sponsors. You are all AWESOME. I can’t say it enough but I would not be here without you and I truly appreciate all the support and care over the years. It’s been a great run together and I’m looking forward to more.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2017/12/06/im-az-2017-recap/feed/0aldentrisRace #3 – NYC Triathlonhttps://aldentris.com/2017/07/17/race-3-nyc-triathlon/
https://aldentris.com/2017/07/17/race-3-nyc-triathlon/#commentsTue, 18 Jul 2017 02:51:29 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=406]]>Well, laying on the floor icing my bike seems like an appropriate time to bring in the update on race 3 – NYC Triathlon. This race was like no other race, mostly because I was done and hanging out by 8:10am which was just crazy. I had a chance to see my friend and coach, Earl Walton, before the race and share in the race with him. And who can pass up the opportunity to run down 72nd street all alone in the middle of the road without worrying about playing chicken with 100 taxis on your way to the park.

But first, I’ve got to step back a bit. Sunday 9 July was Rev3 Williamsburg and I had a great race. Even the race execution was solid, I started the day with an achy back from the drive time. It loosened up a bit leading up to the race, but then immediately tightened back up. On Monday, I couldn’t even bend more than 3 inches without having excruciating pain. I’m not one to hobble around or make excuses, but I could barely even think. At one point during my summer school class, I had to lay down at the back of class during break time to just take the pressure off. I wasn’t sure if I slipped a disk or did something else but I could barely think. By Wednesday, I could bend to about 30 degrees. Then Friday came along, I could trot for a few steps without any pain or issues and I could almost bend 90 degrees. The real barometer was if I could put on my shoes. DONE! That meant the race was on.

But, that also meant that I had a less than ideal week of race prep. This was no longer going to be an hammer race. I was going to give it everything I could but just didn’t know what that would be.

Swimming in the Hudson is an unreal experience. This time around, I could actually see my fingertips, so that was an improvement. I also managed to swim 1500m in 15:00. This will NEVER happen again, unless I race here another time, so it was fun to enjoy feeling fast. I still lost to my coach though on that leg. It seemed like a never ending run up to transition, but I finally made it, enjoyed a little “chat” with my buddy Glenn Hartrick who was racing as part of a relay team, and then out onto the road.

Out onto the bike, I found it hard to hold on to my numbers. Fit Werx had the bike dialed in for me and I definitely could feel the bike cutting through the wind and working on the rollers. My legs just weren’t able to sustain the pace. I tried to hit about 90% FTP but in the end I managed about 81%. Ideally I was shooting for about 61min for the ride but ended up with 1:05.

On to the run and the real test. Could I get off the bike, get on my shoes, and still stand up straight? Answer, yes! I had company starting the run and chased down a couple guys as we heading into and up the west side of the park. At that point, my quads and lower back were beginning to not be so happy. I wanted to be under a 36min split for the run leg but couldn’t get there. Fatigue set in and I managed the race to the finish line.

Overall results: 2:03:10 which was good for 11th in the Elite group and 39th OA (out of 3134). I’m pleased with the race and putting together the effort that I could. It’s a testament to the training with Tailwind Endurance and a ridiculously amazing support from Dr. Todd at All-Pro Health. There was no way this was happening without his work. Rest up, recover, and time to work for IM 70.3 World Championships.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2017/07/17/race-3-nyc-triathlon/feed/1finish nycaldentrisRev3 Williamsburg Race Recaphttps://aldentris.com/2017/07/12/rev3-williamsburg-race-recap/
https://aldentris.com/2017/07/12/rev3-williamsburg-race-recap/#respondThu, 13 Jul 2017 02:20:33 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=366]]>What better time to get to my race recap than while icing my bike during recovery? Before addressing my current state, it’s probably a good idea to figure out how I got here.

Rev3 Williamsburg was on my list for one simple reason – gauge progress from last year to this year. I had a solid race last year and set a great personal best for me. But if that was it, then what’s the point in continuing to develop. Inherent in gauging progress was also recognizing and hopefully realizing a few early season goals. Namely, increase my FTP which would then increase race day performance, address practice swim versus race day swim discrepancies, and continue to be aggressive on the run.

The year started off with Jerseyman which was also a race from last year. I had issues with cold water in 2016 and my body reacted badly. That sensation lingered the whole season so it was important to start 2017 off well. That race was good and then led in to some quality sessions with Coach Earl about tweaking the swim stroke. Now to put it into practice.

This year’s Williamsburg race used the same swim course as last year. The only difference was that we didn’t really have a current to aid the swim this year. The gun went off and I focused on a nice strong stroke rather than turning things over quickly and spiking my heart rate. Bingo! I settled in and just cranked away. About half way through, I actually had to stand in order to make any forward progress because the water got so shallow. I ran a couple steps and then dove back down and started swimming again. The rest went smoothly, no issues, and made it to the end of the swim before having to wade out of the muck and mud. Glancing down at my watch, I covered the 1.2mi course in 27:50 which was definitely a non-current best for me. This put me in 11th place heading into transition.

I pulled out the bike and got right to work. I had just latched on to the second group in the water so there was a collection of people just in front of me. In no time, I moved from 11th to 5th and worked with another athlete for the next 20 miles. Working within the rules, it was great to have company on the roads to keep me focused and honest. I had a target NP = 260w and found myself well above it but easily maintaining the level of effort. After a little bit, I moved up into 3rd position and was by myself. A few minutes later, still over target at 272w, I began to draw close to 2nd place until I passed him on a hill. I was banking on having a quick ride back to transition, but we had an unexpected crosswind that made the trip back to the park a little tougher. In the end, it was a great ride and I had a NP = 267w which was good for 2:12 and a 6.5 minute improvement from last year.

Since I hadn’t seen first place at all, I knew he was far ahead and I didn’t think I had much of a chance at catching him. It was starting to get hot outside and the temperature was creeping into the high 80s without any heat index bump. Finally, around mile 3, we passed each other on the out and back turnaround. He had about 7.5min and roughly a 1.1mi lead on me. An olympic distance competitor told me I could catch him but I basically shrugged off that idea. Still, I kept plugging along. I started the run with 3 miles in 5:59, 6:07, and 6:10 to keep 3rd place at bay and let him know he was in for a serious effort. That worked and I settled into roughly 6:15-6:20 pace. I had a rough idea of where 1st place should be as I approached the end of the first loop, but he wasn’t there. I kept moving along and still no sight of him yet. Finally, much closer to the turnaround, I crossed paths with him. By the time I came back to the same spot, I had made up 2.5 minutes. GAME ON! I buckled down and got focused on pulling him back. I had 6 miles to make up 5min. It all was going to depend on the last turnaround between markers 9 and 10. I got close to that, still hadn’t seen him until it was almost time for me to begin heading back. The lead was less than 1.5min and 0.2mi. That was it. I saw him, give the pace a push, and made up the ground in no time. By mile 11, I had overtaken first place and was in control. The only downside was that my back was beginning to tighten up. I enjoyed the bike escort through the rest of the course and then came into the finishing straight to the best site possible – Kim and the 3 kids waiting for me. We all ran down the finishing chute together and broke the tape for the overall win. Total race time was 4:06:41 for roughly a 9min improvement from last year.

More importantly, I had tangible results to gauge my progress. The swim as faster, the bike was faster and stronger with the same effort (HR), the run was faster and that came after a higher output on the bike.

This was race 2 of 4 but the next two race weekends are in doubt. The drive down crushed my back. I recovered somewhat but then the race aggravated it again. It’s all about recovery at the moment. I still can’t bend down to put my shoes on, but I’m beginning to feel looser each day. There’s been lots of quality time with Dr. Todd and he’s been pulling out all the stops to get things calm, relaxed, and back in working order.

Nutrition

If you’re still reading this, well, Thank you. I know some of you are interested in nutrition so I’m going to get into that separately and also keep it brief. Elevate by Nicci has been awesome support. One of the things I like most about working with Nicci, is that she pushes me to understand and apply our decisions. I’ve been able to recognize opportunities to tweak plans and identify different ways to integrate the necessary nutritional elements.

Nutrition started the night before with sodium loading. This has really helped the onset of muscle cramps. I sweat a lot and the forecast was for mostly sunny skies, reaching 85 by 10am and feeling like 93+. In the morning, breakfast was a piece of toast with peanut butter, top-off on sodium loading, and then 1.5 scoops of UCAN. From that point, it was UCAN as my main nutrition until the end of the race.

The Ventum One comes with a 40oz bottle which is plenty to dump in two 1500mg sachets of Precision Hydration electrolytes. I love PH because I can get the concentration I need without severely changing caloric intake or glucose levels. This has been huge. I added a few salt tabs on the bike too due to the heat. During the 2+ hours on the bike, I worked on a bottle of UCAN that had both regular and protein mix in it to curb the hunger and give me the energy I needed. No issues there and on to the run.

I had a UCAN “shot” just in case I needed it but the bike nutrition was enough to give me the energy I needed for the bulk of the run. Salt tabs were the key and the legs never got to the point of cramping. It’s so great to have the right combination of nutrition. I can race and focus only on racing and not when my stomach is going to give out or anything like that. Around mile 9, I had a PacificHealth Labs 2nd surge. These gels are great for me because they have a protein component and don’t upset my stomach. Plus, the Surge has caffeine so I don’t have to worry about taking on something else too. Caffeine late in the race is a game changer. It brings a little boost of energy but also brings you right back into focus. And that’s it. Pretty straightforward and simple but such a powerful combination.

Thanks to everyone for the support. There really is nothing celebrating the win with the whole family. Now, on to the next race which will hopefully be NYC Tri this weekend.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2017/07/12/rev3-williamsburg-race-recap/feed/0wburg finishaldentrisswim exitrunning rev3Why Do We Compete? A Coach’s Dreamhttps://aldentris.com/2017/06/11/why-do-we-compete-a-coachs-dream/
https://aldentris.com/2017/06/11/why-do-we-compete-a-coachs-dream/#respondSun, 11 Jun 2017 13:05:06 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=363]]>Over roughly the last 8 years, I had the opportunity to coach with and learn from a leading figure in the running world. What struck me the most about Tom Fleming was his passion to see everyone succeed. Talent is nice, but passion, dedication, and commitment are the keys to success.

Yesterday was the NJ Meet of Champions and here are some words I prepared to share at the meet.

While we pause for a moment here today to celebrate the life of a friend, coach, and mentor to many people, I want to leave you all with the special outlook that Tom had in this sport.

Quite simply, Tom Fleming loved running. Track and field, cross country, and road racing all gave him energy and a lust for seeing athletes push themselves. As much fun as seeing a fast time could be, Tom loved to see those athletes with passion, heart, and desire. Each day out is another opportunity to improve, to find and set a new best, and to push yourself to new levels.

I’ll leave you with this today. Find your passion, whether running or something else, and give it the respect it deserves to improve and be your best each day. Chase down those personal bests and keep on pushing.

So, why do we compete? We compete because we want to win. We want to see how training can reward us for all the countless hours of commitment and practice. But most of all, we compete because there is some internal drive that pushes us to succeed and develop, to find new limits and stretch them, and to delve deeper in our quest to be better today than yesterday.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2017/06/11/why-do-we-compete-a-coachs-dream/feed/0aldentrisLessons Learned from Arizonahttps://aldentris.com/2017/01/06/lessons-learned-from-arizona/
https://aldentris.com/2017/01/06/lessons-learned-from-arizona/#respondFri, 06 Jan 2017 23:44:49 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=348]]>Well, better late than never for a race recap. Rather than reviewing the race itself, there are some key takeaways I’d like to share. Before I get into it though, I have to give a huge shoutout to my sponsors for making this race and the season happen. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks for everything.

It’s taken me a little bit to sit down and put my thoughts together but I finally have a chance to put together a good reflection on IM Arizona. No, I did get my end goal of a Kona spot but I did everything that I could. Setting goals and effectively executing a race plan put me in the best position possible but there were simply people faster than me that day. With that, there are definitely some lessons learned from the race that I can take with me for 2017 and years to come.

Listen to your body. IM Arizona came 8 weeks after IM Chattanooga. While many have turned around and raced iron-distance events in shorter windows, this was my first time. It was important to listen to my body, feel the ups and downs of training and not push until I was physically and mentally ready get rolling again.

Test your equipment. You know what it’s supposed to feel like so don’t wait to call it out. The worst is that you’re wrong. I was riding and things just didn’t quite feel right. I couldn’t put my finger on it but settled on possibly the crank being a little loose. Turns out, the left bearing in the bottom bracket was completely seized up. After changing this out, getting a new chain and chain ring, and a nice tune-up from FitWerx, I was on a completely new bike. I had two short rides on the bike and then race day. The bike felt so smooth and amazing that I was actually laughing during the ride.

Don’t rush recovery. If you’re waking up physically tired or the drive to workout has waned, there’s a reason for that. Let things come back together without pushing recovery. The fitness will still be there and you’ll probably come out stronger by letting the rest come than if you try to push through the stress and get to unsustainable levels. I spent lots of time with Dr. Todd getting things right and ready.

Build a clear and definable plan both for nutrition purposes and race strategy. This is one of the most important parts to come out of racing and training. We’ve all heard that you shouldn’t try anything new on race day. Practice to race. It’s that simple. That includes a nutrition plan and pacing strategy. For me, my nutrition plan has been a work in progress. I’ve battled some GI discomfort in years past, cramping in calves or quads, and fading late in races. Since then, I’ve worked with some stellar companies to come up with a great nutrition plan that can be adjusted due to race conditions. UCAN is my main nutrition during the race. What’s great about UCAN is that it provides a steady burn and gives sustained energy. THIS IS HUGE!!! That means significantly less caloric intake. During IM Chatt, I took on roughly 1200 calories and then again during IM Arizona I was between 1200-1300 calories. And, most importantly, no GI distress. In addition to UCAN, I use AccelGel late in the race for quick energy boosts. PacificHealth labs has both a regular gel and a caffeine gel. What I like about the regular gel is that there’s a protein component so you don’t get such a high sugar spike and then possible crash. It also doesn’t blow up my stomach and matches extremely well with UCAN. To address cramping and sodium loss, I’ve started using Precision Hydration. The electrolyte mix and electrolyte tabs have nailed the cramping issues. The mix has different levels of sodium and is customizable based on your needs. I’ve ironed this out with the help of my nutritionist, Elevate by Nicci, and she’s been spot on with the development, teaching me about needs, and addressing those needs.

With the race strategy, having a coach or someone else to bounce ideas off of has been great. But it doesn’t do anything if you can’t stick to the plan. Which leads to…

Be patient. I already spoke about not rushing recovery and listening to your body but being patient goes beyond that. Race day is a long day. There’s no reason to blast out if you can’t sustain it. My coach (Earl Walton from Tailwind Endurance) and I had a clear plan for the bike. The bike course is a bit deceptive. It feels easy on the first trip out but by the third lap, the 10 miles of crosswind and steady uphill rip up your legs. UNLESS, you’ve been patient and haven’t gone overboard. I stuck to power numbers and then on the third lap was ready to open up a bit. By the third lap, I passed every rider that passed me on the first lap. It was brilliant and set me up to come off the bike in a strong position. And riding the Ventum One was amazing. I ripped through the back end of the course. Having a bit of a tailwind/crosswind really brought out the aerodynamic advantages of the bike. It was fun!

Focusing throughout the race is hard. The mental effort to get back in the game can’t be understated. I hit a mental wall around mile 16. I told myself to just keep going and that it was ok. It took me roughly 4-5 miles to snap out of it and get focused again. As soon as I did, the last 5 miles went by quickly. But it was a long, dark period to get there.

In the end, it’s a race. Enjoy the thrill of the race and the energy of the crowd.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2017/01/06/lessons-learned-from-arizona/feed/0aldentrisSalt Can Be Your Friendhttps://aldentris.com/2016/08/12/salt-can-be-your-friend/
https://aldentris.com/2016/08/12/salt-can-be-your-friend/#respondSat, 13 Aug 2016 00:27:03 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=340]]>As the heat and humidity of August really creep up these days, it’s a good time to think about staying hydrated during activities. When we sweat, we loose water as well as salt. Losing sodium affects an individual’s ability to sustain high levels of performance.

There are ways several ways to address sodium needs during exercise and racing in order to avoid muscle cramps and dehydration. Sodium loading and salt tabs are just a couple examples. When I first learned about salt tabs, it struck me as odd to take something that would dehydrate you. But, that was really a misunderstanding of how the body interacts with sodium. Working with my nutritionist, Nicci Schock, I’ve now come to realize my body is able to hold on to more water when extra sodium is in place and if I don’t have the extra water, then I become dehydrated. This is different than thinking that the extra salt will essentially dry you out.

I’ve also gone a little more in depth about sodium loading in this post. From salt tabs, sodium loading, and electrolyte drinks, there are plenty of alternatives to ensure you can replenish sodium and continue to perform as expected. Sometimes water isn’t enough and the extra boost of sodium can make all the difference.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2016/08/12/salt-can-be-your-friend/feed/0aldentrisRev3 W’burg – Nutrition and Heathttps://aldentris.com/2016/07/12/rev3-wburg-nutrition-and-heat/
https://aldentris.com/2016/07/12/rev3-wburg-nutrition-and-heat/#respondTue, 12 Jul 2016 18:31:36 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=317]]>Heading into the race, the main concern I had was the heat and how to prepare for it. I sweat a lot and that can be a problem in the heat and dealing with muscle cramps. This season, I’ve been working with Nicci at Elevate by Nicci and, in short, she’s nailed it. My body burns energy more efficiently and reaches towards fat as the main source. I can bike at 85% of FTP and run at 6:25 pace without crossing over and burning more carbs. This gives me a chance to focus on the race and not worry about gut rot, consuming massive amounts of calories, and crashing from sugar lows.

The second part we’ve worked on is focusing on muscle cramping. Together with Coach Earl from Tailwind Endurance, my workouts have served as race day tests. Even the races themselves are rehearsals for the big A race later this season. Each one has an opportunity for learning and we implemented a sodium focused strategy. The night before the race, I went through sodium loading and consumed a certain amount of salt with orange juice and water. Then, on race morning, I went through another round of sodium loading. Breakfast was toast with a scoop of peanut butter and half an avocado followed by a UCAN drink shortly before the race.

It worked perfectly. The water was hot, I was sweating right away, but the cramps that have plagued my run never came. I ran as comfortably as possibly in 85+ degrees and sun and just kept dumping water on myself.

Nailed it all around! Nutrition has been the missing piece and I’m happy to say that things are coming together nicely and constantly developing. Now it’s time to get back to the pool and get ready for another hot day out at NJ State Triathlon.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2016/07/12/rev3-wburg-nutrition-and-heat/feed/0aldentrisRev3 Williamsburg Recap 1https://aldentris.com/2016/07/12/rev3-williamsburg-recap-1/
https://aldentris.com/2016/07/12/rev3-williamsburg-recap-1/#respondTue, 12 Jul 2016 17:48:26 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=306]]>Rev3 Williamsburg was the perfect way to launch the second half of the tri season and to test out some new nutrition techniques. Leading into the race, I spent two weeks on a school trip in Tanzania and then a week hanging out at the beach with the family. So, bike and swim fitness was always going to be a question mark but the run base proved to be solid and strong.

The swim was definitely rusty. As has been the case all season, I still have significant work to do there. I feel strong in the pool but it’s not translating to the times I want to see in races. Consistent work will pay off. I came out of the water somewhere in the top 20 or so and knew I had some work to do.

Riding on the Ventum One this season has been an absolute blast. It’s giving me a boost on flats and downhills that I used to give away to bigger, stronger riders. Now, no matter what the slope of the road, I’m moving along quickly and loving it. On the bike, I moved up to 8th by the time I passed my cheering section – big thanks to Kimmie, Peter, Ellie, Addison, Daniel, and Kensi for hanging out on the road. I couldn’t see anyone in front of me but just stuck to the plan and held the watts steady at 85% for the last 15 miles.

Cruising into transition, I had a chance to see a few runners ahead of me. This was the freshest I’ve felt coming off the bike and heading into the run on a 70.3. It showed to. I comfortably settled into a 6:20s pace and started making up ground. By mile 10 I moved up to 2nd on the road and finished strong. In the end, I was bumped down to 3rd from someone in a later wave but still made the overall podium and even had a chance to race across the line with all 3 kids. SUCCESS!

]]>https://aldentris.com/2016/07/12/rev3-williamsburg-recap-1/feed/0aldentrisSplitting Time – Personal (student) and Athletehttps://aldentris.com/2016/07/06/splitting-time-personal-student-and-athlete/
https://aldentris.com/2016/07/06/splitting-time-personal-student-and-athlete/#respondWed, 06 Jul 2016 19:40:14 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=221]]>“Give about two of them [hours] every day to exercise; for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the mind strong.” – Thomas Jefferson

I came upon this quote a couple days ago on the back of a friend’s shirt. Thomas Jefferson, a founding father and a leading intellectual, clearly saw the value and importance of fitness coexisting with the pursuit of knowledge. Yet today, I come across many young adults that are willing to sacrifice this vital development for an extra 30-60 minutes of studying.

It’s not an “either/or” decision. It’s an “and” decision. Learning to balance priorities and manage time are skills that we need to practice at an early age in order to employ them at later stages of life. Not only that, activity creates a focus that transcends just the sport and is transferred to other areas of importance – education, work, hobbies, etc. With summertime here, take advantage of the extra light by walking, riding, hiking, anything that exercises the body. The mind will follow and the habits will continue to benefit daily life.

]]>https://aldentris.com/2016/07/06/splitting-time-personal-student-and-athlete/feed/0aldentrisJerseyMan Recaphttps://aldentris.com/2016/05/22/jerseyman-recap/
https://aldentris.com/2016/05/22/jerseyman-recap/#respondMon, 23 May 2016 02:33:42 +0000http://aldentris.com/?p=296]]>Report the Good AND the Bad

Today was the tri season opener for me. To say I was a little rusty would be an understatement. But, as my high school soccer coach said, if I’m going to report the wins and successes, I need to be ready to report the losses and misses.

Last year, I raced JerseyMan to open the season but the only similar aspect to the race was the name. New course, different distance, and different competitors. Not to mention, the water was definitely cool but more on that later.

Setup and pre-race warmup was good. As a follow up to the last post about race day nutrition, Nicci and I dialed in the pre and during race needs. This race served to shake off the rust as much as it did to strategize about in-race nutrition.

No issues with the nutrition. I didn’t hold up my end of the plan and take as many electrolytes as I should have but all told, energy was great.

Now, onto the actual racing. I took off in the elite field during the first wave. The gun went off and I simply couldn’t move. I had warmed up and floated around in the water before the start, but evidently that was not enough to get used to the water. I couldn’t get a deep breath and every time I stuck my head in the water, I just froze. I tried anything and everything to get comfortable but it just wasn’t working. Finally I rolled over and just started doing backstroke so I could keep moving forward. I was able to swim and move fine. Each time this happened, I would flip back over and try to swim free again and the same thing would come back. Finally, with about 200 yds left to go I was able to just swim calmly again. In short, it was a terrible terrible swim. This was my first time back in the open water since last September and it showed. That, coupled with the cold water, was apparently too much on race day. My mind and body simply would not agree and the race was stuck in the middle. I did make it through the swim but competing for a top place was pretty much done.

Transition was only marginally better. It took me forever to get my wetsuit off. I forgot to tuck my watch under my sleeve and the organizers were adamant about the timing chip being on the outside of the suit. So, naturally my suit got stuck on both of those spots.

All that said, the rest of the race wasn’t bad. I was PUMPED to finally get out on the roads and race my new Ventum One. Each ride on it is just awesome. It’s a fantastic build and great feel. I rolled through the bike and rode at a normalized power of 97% of my FTP. That was higher than planned but I was trying to pull people back. The run, which turned out to be about 6.5 miles, went by steadily as well. I averaged 6 minute miles on a surprisingly hilly course with a couple in the 5:40 range. On the positive end, it was great to see that I could run well and strong after pushing close to 100% on the bike for 90 minutes. Both bike and run legs are coming along.

Takeaways from the race are pretty simple and straightforward – get comfortable in the water. Comfort means people, temperature, and just overall feel. Also, keep working on overall conditioning and reinforcing the strong run base.